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March 10. 1925.

O. A. HANFORD METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR BLOWING GLASS Filed March '7. 1921BY M?- A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 10, 1925,

03m A. EANFORD,- 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO,

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO THE FEDERAL GLASS COM- PANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BLOWING GLASS.

Application filed March 7, 1921. Serial No. 450,383.

2' '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORIN A. HANFORD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Columbus. in the county of Franklin and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods andApparatus for Blowing Glass, of which the following is a specificationHy invention relates to method and apparatus for blowing glass and haspartirular relation to the introduction of air into partially formedblanks of glass during the stages leading to and including the finalformation of he articles to be produced. It is particularly suitable inconnection with the production of blown glassware of the finer type.such as blown tumblers, electric light bulbs. etcetera.

The progress of the art has inevitably trended more and more toward theproduction o glassware by macliinerv rather than manually and. at thepresent time. the blowin o't' glassware by machinei v is rapidlyncroaching: upon the field of the skilled hmrl-worker. But experienceand observation have convinced me that the use of rompressed air inblowing bv machinery is s ill) jcct to serious d fects of operati n andI have observed that these detects are more pronounced and accentuatedon son-iv days than on others. For lllSitUHt. l have observed thatompressed air as ordinarily used has a very undesirable limitation as toexpansiveness, in other words. that it is likely to (to dead before. ithas accomplished the purpose for which it has been introduced into thearticle. as for instance in the elon ation ot'the blanks preparatory tofinal blowing. Furthermore. T have noticed that the degree ofcx'pansiveness of the compressed air varies with the humidity of theatmosphere. which imparts an unreliability extremely detrim ntal to thesuccessful manufacture of the finer grades of ware. Finally. I haveobserved that these defects do not seem to exist in the manualproduction of blown :rlasswa re.

From a placing of these v: rious facts sideby-side and an analyticalconsideration of such facts and other facts related thereto. I have cometo a full appreciation of the fact that air as normally used in blowinby machinery has a very vital fault. T is fault consists primarily inthe fact that the air expands too quickly for the proper handling of theglass in the process of formation. Viscous glass is very sensitive butis far more responsive to pressure gradually and continuously appliedthan it is to pressure more suddenly applied. This is true whether it isbeing used in the introduction of puffs of air or whether it is beingused in the prolonged "admission of air into a blank.

As a result of my study of this problem, I have devised a method of andapparatus 't'or treating the air to be used in the expansion of theblanks both inthe introduc tion of "pufl's of air and in the prolongedadmission of air into the blanks. The treatment is such that when theair enters the blank and is subjected to the intense heat therein willexpand more slowly and to a ;;l('ti\:r extent and it will continue toexpand for a greater length of time than it would it it were not for thetreatment. This is particularly important in the introduction of thpuffs of air during and'prior to the step of elongation. Observation ofthe hand method will disclose that the paths of air introduced are moreeffective becau e of inherent expansiveness after introduction thanbecause of the pressure under which they are introduced.

In preferred form my invention contemplates the addition of moisture tothe air on its way to the blanks. The moisture is in the form of a vaporand is from a watersupplv of such a nature'that the water is suppliedcontinuously but not under pressure.

Preferably. the air is laden with moisture by means of an inspirator theair passing by a nozzle containing water and drawing mois ure with it.Regulating. means is providcd for permitting adjustable determination ofthe amount of moisture picked up by the air. The moisture is vaporizedbut is so tine that there is no danger of blowing ut of the. blank.

The preferred embodiment of my invenion is shown 1n the accompanyingdrawings wherein similar characters of reference designate correspondingparts and where- 1n Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic representationof a single unit of my machine with moisture supplying device appliedthereto.

Figure 2. removed.

In the drawings, the blank holding head i shown at 1 as coniprisiiu, anumber of par which hardly require detailed description for the purposeof making clear the present invention. Leading through this head and tothe interior of any blank supported thereon is an air passage 2.

The air passage is a continuation of the air passage 3 in an inspirator4 having a concentrically dis osed nozzle 5. The air passage 3 is suppied with air under pressure in any desired manner. preferablycontinuously. The iuspirator 4 is movable into and out of fittingrelation to a pipe 6 in which starts the air passage 2. It may bemaintained in this fitting relation for long or short intervals,depending upon the character of air introduction desired.

The nozzle 5 of the inspirator is preferably connected by a pipe 7, anannular channel 8 and a pipe 9 with a water tank that is exemplifieddiagrammatically as at 10 and has an overflow opening at 11. The head ofwater maintained in the tank 10 is just suflicient to maintain a volumeof water in the nozzle 5 that will permit the air passing along passage3 by such nozzle to draw with it a moderate amount of moisture.

The nozzle 5 is provided with a needle valve 12. By adjusting thisneedle valve, the amount of moisture with which the air is ultimatelyladen may be regulated at will. A means 13 is provided for maintainingthis needle valve in any position to which it is adjusted, also a checkvalve 14 is contained in the pipe 6 for retaining the air within theblank after it has once been introduced.

From this structure it will be obvious that the air being introducedinto the blanks may be laden with vaporized moisture to any desireddegree. The moisture laden air will enter the blank with the moisture inthe form of fine vapor which will retard the heatingof the air andconsequently slow down and protract expansion of this air. The importantultimate result of this is that the pressure thus applied to the blankwill be relatively gradual and prolonged which is much better suited tothe forming of viscous glass than quick and violent pressure.

This is a highly important development in the art. It will prevent theair from going dead after brief expansion with consequent tendency ofthe partially blown blank to collapse, as in the process of elongation.It is within the bounds of my invenis a detail view of the inspiratortion to substitute other mixtures of fluids than compressed air andwater. For instance, certain chemicals may conceivably be used to slowdown expansion or to increase the volume to which the fluid will expand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In the blowing of glassware, the method of automatically introducinginto the blank a fluid that will expand more slowly than compressed air.

2. In the blowing of glassware, the method of automatically introducininto the blank a fluid that will have a sowcr and more protractedexpansion than compressed air.

3. In the blowing of glassware, the method of automatically introducinginto the blank a .fiuid that will expand to a greater extent thancompressed air.

47 In the blowing of glassware, the meth- 1 od of automaticallyintroducing into the" blank a fluid that will expand more slowly and toa greater extent than compressed air.

In the art of glass working. the method of introducing air into'e'lassblanks which comprises treating the 2 x to make it expand moregradually.

6. In the blowing of glassware, the method which comprises introducingcompressed air into the blanks and supplying moisture to said compressedair o its way to the blank.

7 n the blowing of glassware, the method w rich comprises passing air insuch relation to a liquid that it, will pick up a vapor therefrom, andintroducing the vaporized air into a blank.

8. In the blowing of glassware, the method which comprises automaticallysupplying vaporized moisture not under pressure to air, and introducingthe air so impregnated into a blank.

9. The method of elongating a blank for blown ware which comprisesautomatically introducing a ufi of moisture impregnated air into said bank.

10. Apparatus for delivering air to the interior of a glass blank comrisin means for impregnating the airwit moisture.

11. Apparatus to; delivering air to the interior of a glass blankcomprising means for passing air through a conduit. means forintroducing moisture not under pressure into the air.

12. Apparatus for delivering air to the interior of a glass blankcomprising means for conducting water to a point where it will be pickedup as a vapor by the air on its way to the blank interior.

13. Apparatus for delivering air to the interior of a glass blankcomprising an inspirator supplied with water and means for passing theair through said inspirator on its way to the blank whereby it drawsmoisture with it.

Ill/i 14. Apparatus for delivering air to the interior of a glass, blankcomprising means for supplying moisture to the air, and means forregulating the amount of moisture supplied.

15. In the blowing of *lassware, the meth' od of retaining the blan on aholder, passing air through aconduit leading to said holder andimpregnating such air with moisture.

16. In the blowing of glassware, the method of retaining the blank on aholder, passing air through a conduit leading to said holder andimpregnating such air with moisture as it passes through said conduit.

17. In the blowing of glass are, the method of retaining a blank on aholder. passing air through a conduit, impregnating such air withmoisture and then delivering Such moisture impregnated air to saidblank.

18. In the blowing of glassware, the method of impregnating continuouslyflowing air with moisture and introducing a portion of such moistureimpregnated air into a blank.

19. In the blowing of glassware, the method of retaining a blank on aholder. passing air through a conduit, impregnating such air withmoisture and intermittently delivering moisture impregnated air to saidblank.

20. The method of blowing glassware which con ts in conducting airthrough a conduit, conducting liquid to a point whcrc it will be iickedup b the air passing through sait conduit an then introducing suchmoisture impregnated air to the blank.

21. The method of blowing glassware which consists in passing airthrough a conduit, impregnating such air with moisture. andintermittently introducing such moisture impregnated air to a blank.

22. Glass blowing apparatus comprising a holder for the blank. means fordelivering air to said blank and means for imprcgnating such air withmoisture.

23. Glass blowing apparatus comprising means for intermittently delivcri1: air to the interior of a glass blank and 1110:1115 t'or impregnatingcontinuously flowing air with moisture.

24. Glass blowing apparatus i-omprising means for passing air through aconduit. means for supplying moisture to thc air. means for regulatingthe amount oi" moisture supplied and mcans for intermittentlyintroducing thc innistm'c iusprcunalcd air to the blank.

25."G1ass blowing apparatu comprising means for impregnating air withmoisture, means for introducing such moisturc impregnated air to thcinterior of a giass blank undcr pressurc and means for auto maticallyretaining s ch uIr in the blank 26. Glass blowing apparatus comprising afluid conducting conduit. a liquid conducting conduit m ans forconducting the liquid to a point where it will be picked up by the fluidand means for intermittently introducing such moisture impregnated fluidinto a glass blank.

27. Glass blowing apparatus comprising a tluid conducting conduit. aliquid con ducting conduit. mcans tor conti nruisi; conducting theliquid to 1 point whcrc i will be picked up by the fluid and means forintern'iittcntly introducing such mois ture impregnated fluid into aglass blank.

28. Glass blowing apparatus coniprisiiq; a fluid conducting conduit. :1liquid con ducting conduit, means for conducting tialiquid to a pointwhere it will be pick d up by the timid. means for intermittentlyintroducing such moisture imprcgimtcd fluid into a glass blank and meansfor taining said fluid in said blank,

:29. Gla s blowing apparatus comprising a Hold condm-tiug conduit. :1liquid coir ducting condull. mcan for cont nuously conducting ihc liquidto a point wh re it will he picked up by th fluid. niczm.- forintrrmittcinly introducing -:;ch moi ture imprcgnutcd fluid into aglas-- blunt; and locum i'or rctaining said lluid in said blank 1 Has-sblowing apparatus mniyrhing :1 iluid conducting conduit. a liquid tonducting onduit. incans for continuous paving iluid through said conduit.iucanb c ndncting thc liquid in a point uherc it will be pickcd up as avapor by tin um; and means for intcrmittently introdu ing such moisturciuiprcgnatcd lluid in o tltc s blank. Gla blowing apparatus *oni1isiii;: a lluid condiv'ling conduit. a liquid conducting r uduit. mcansfor continuoiisl passing tluid through said conduit. b au for condu tingthe liquid to a point uhcrc it. will he picked up as a vapor b tl rfluid. 111021118 for intermittently introducing such moistureimprcgnatcd fluid into the glass blank and means for retaining saidfluid in said blank.

32. Glass blowing apparatus comprising an air conducting conduit. aliquid condint ing conduit, means for combining such ir and such liquidand means for actuating said lirst named means to cilect thc inmiduction of such moisture impregnate? rininto the interior of a glassblank.

33. Glass blmring rippiratns coiupr ng an air mnducting conduit. aliquid nd ct ing conduit. means i'or ;-ombining such an and such liquidand iticans "for actuating said first named means to iutcrnntrutiieffect the introduction of such moisturr ini prcgnatcd air into theinterior of a glass blank.

l n trsiim-urv \vhcrcoi 1 hcrcny akix our signature.

ORIN A. HA NFORD

